


A Shot in the Dark

by MycroftsGoldfish



Series: Romancing The British Government [1]
Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Minor Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-22
Updated: 2014-03-22
Packaged: 2018-01-16 14:20:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,217
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1350547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MycroftsGoldfish/pseuds/MycroftsGoldfish
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A gunshot rattles Mycroft's world and makes him realize how much he's come to care for the intriguing woman living in 221B with his brother and the good doctor.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Shot in the Dark

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first fic in what will become a series about Mycroft finding love, even though he thinks "caring is not an advantage". Funny how life works out sometimes ;)  
> Many thanks to my Aussie friend for reading all my fics and inspiring me to keep writing.

Traipsing around London with Sherlock and John was exciting, but it was dangerous. Three of them against London’s mostly stupid criminals was usually an advantage, but, on occasion, like tonight, they ran into a bit more than the three of them alone could handle, and Sherlock was never one to inform the police about when they headed off to chase after assumed suspects. 

This lead them to where they were now. Trapped and outnumbered by very stupid, but very armed, very twitchy lower henchmen of an even bigger drug cartel. Three of the seven men who had them held hostage, or dead soon if someone didn’t show up, held a gun aimed at each Sherlock, John and Elaina. The other four were busy setting a perimeter around the building. While Sherlock kept the attention of the gunmen focused on him by deducing tidbits of their personal life, John and Elaina silently hoped that Mycroft’s insistent CCTV surveillance showed him that they’d been off grid for far too long and he’d send in the cavalry soon. 

Just as Sherlock was getting to the more sensitive bits about their captors and said captors were getting agitated, they heard scuffling outside, yells from the other four criminals and voices of the police telling them to stand down or get shot. This didn’t sit well with the gunmen currently pointing shaky handguns at the consulting detective, his blogger and their American ex-cop. As the police stormed in and the gunmen threatened to shoot, all Elaina can remember is someone grasping at the back of her shirt and pulling her to the ground before the sharp pain in her neck made her want to scream. She couldn’t seem to find her voice though as a strong, familiar hand pressed to her neck, cutting off the rush of blood coming from her carotid artery. The pressure intensified the pain, into a searing, burning sensation and her eyes flew open to find the familiar hand belonged to Mycroft and he was knelt over her, his blue-grey eyes wide and locked on hers. 

“Stay with me, ok? I need you to stay awake.” Mycroft pressed harder, wincing when Elaina tried to gasp but only managed to open her mouth silently. 

“Don’t you fall asleep on me. Elaina!” Mycroft tapped her cheek lightly. 

“Good, good. Look at me. Stay here with me. I won’t let anything happen to you. Just stay with me.” Mycroft cradled the side of her face with his free hand, stroking his thumb along her cheek and kept the pressure on her neck with the other. 

After John checked that Sherlock was alright they both dropped down on either side of Elaina, Sherlock whipping his scarf off and handing it to Mycroft to press to Elaina’s gushing wound. 

“The ambulance is on it’s way. Just keep doing what you’re doing. Keep talking to her.” She could hear John but he sounded far away. 

“My-col-” Elaina gurgled out parts of words. Mycroft soothed her, rubbing his thumb gently along her lips. 

“Shh...don’t try to talk. Just listen to me. Listen to my voice. Stay with me.” He leaned down, putting his cheek against hers and talked in a hushed voice. Saying things only meant for them in case this was the last time he got to tell her anything. 

 

They hadn’t been together long. Shortly after she’d been brought in by the Met to consult on a case and met John, John had introduced her to Sherlock and things seemed to be smooth sailing, well, as smooth as things can go with Sherlock, and she’d been made part of their daily life at 221B. Moving in, taking cases with Sherlock and John and eventually Mycroft had come around to find out about this woman whom Sherlock could and did like, almost as much as John and who, in turn, could put up with Sherlock just as well as John could. Mycroft found himself quickly fascinated with her and their relationship had gone from Sherlock and John’s friend to his friend as well, to casual dates when both of them had time. Nothing progressing beyond having fun and enjoying each other’s company. Even though they both wanted to, it just hadn’t happened, and now, Mycroft wished he’d not been so reserved in his affections towards her. 

“John…” Sherlock murmured. “Do something. Help her.”

John blinked up at him. “I-I can’t, Sherlock. She needs a hospital. I’m sorry…” he aimed the last part at both Holmeses and willed the ambulance to come faster. 

Elaina could hear Mycroft talking softly, but he seemed to be getting farther and farther away. Even though she knew somewhere that he was right next to her. She felt herself slipping, getting colder, thinking she needed to tell Mycroft she loved him but her mouth wouldn’t listen. And then everything went dark. The last thing she remembered hearing was Mycroft...crying? No, Mycroft didn’t cry. But she swore she heard a sob, and felt something wet on her face, and now the pain was gone even though it was dark.

 

Hours? Days? Weeks, later? Elaina didn’t know. As she came into consciousness she could feel the coolness of the pillow on her cheek, the beeps and hums of machines. Voices from somewhere far away, and the pain in the side of her neck. She didn’t move, just fluttered her eyes open. Bed, sort of itchy sheets, beeping machines...pain in my neck...oh, right, the gunmen in the warehouse. The ground, Mycroft…” She let her eyes drift over to the chair next to the bed where she found Mycroft, head in his hands, elbows resting on his knees. More pale than usual and not just from the harsh hospital lights. Elaina swallowed hard and tried to speak.

“Hello,” it came out croaky, she cleared her throat and tried again. “ Hello Mycroft.” Her voice was weak, rough like she’d been without water for days, but Mycroft heard. He’d been waiting to hear that voice for 9 days.

“You’re awake.” He barely whispered, reaching his hand out to place his palm against her upturned one on the bed beside her face. 

“Where-what happened?” Elaina breathed out, blinking slowly.

“Do you remember anything?” Mycroft asked quietly. “The warehouse, the gunmen…?”  
Elaina nodded slowly. Wincing at the pain the movement caused. 

“No, no, don’t move too much. Here." Mycroft said softly and sat forward, placing his long fingers delicately over the dressing on the wound on her neck. He trailed the tiips softly at the edges of the bandage, careful not to put too much pressure and told her about the events leading up to the present. Filling in the gaps in her memory. 

“We should’ve gotten there sooner. Someone should’ve had a shot on all three of them before any of them ever got a shot off. I’m so sorry.” Mycroft hung his head. 

“It was you there.” Elaina sighed, closing her eyes. “I thought I was dreaming.” She heard him let out an uneven breath and opened her eyes to look at him, tightening her fingers on his hand. 

“How long…?”

“9 days. You lost a lot of blood. Took the ambulance far too long to get to us. I thought…” He shook his head, letting his words drift off. 

“And...you’ve been here the whole time?” She whispered. Mycroft only nodded, not trusting himself to be able to speak yet without his voice breaking.

“Oh...god. Thank you.” Elaine breathed. Tugging as much as she could with the fingers wrapped around his hand, she willed him closer. Reading her movements, or her mind, which would be so like him, he leaned close and let his lips brush softly across hers then pulled back just barely, letting their noses still touch.

“Aren’t you tired, Mycroft?” She asked quietly.

“Exhausted.” He smiled against her mouth. 

“C’mon then. Sleep with me.”

“Elaina...I don’t think-” Mycroft started.

“That’s all you do is think. I’m not asking you to shag me, I’m asking you to sleep with me. You’re tired. You’ve been sitting in that chair for more than a week. Don’t even start.” She kissed him quickly to cut him off. “I know you. You haven’t left. Not even to eat. You’ve had someone bringing you food, and god, I hope it’s from outside the hospital because I know this stuff is awful! You’ve been reluctant to even leave to use the bathroom. You’re not going to go home now just because I’m awake and I want you close, so use that massive intellect of yours and think of good way to get in this bed without causing me further pain, Mr. Holmes and do it fast because I need to sleep and I need you to do that comfortably.”

“Alright.” Mycroft agreed and pulled his hands gently away from her, making his way around the bed behind her. He toed off his shoes, carefully but quickly unbuttoned his waistcoat and laid it across the table by the bed. “Umm….” He glanced at the door, then around the room.

“Mycroft…?” 

“I was just pondering whether or not removing my trousers and shirt were a good idea or not.”

“You’ll be more comfortable. And so will I. Take them off.”  
Mycroft raised an eyebrow, even though she couldn’t see him, but set about stripping down to his pants anyway. Very carefully, very gently, very slowly, he pulled the blanket and sheet away from her and knelt on the bed, then lowered himself down onto his side and stretched his long legs along the length of the bed. 

“May I?” Mycroft fingered the ties on the back of Elaina’s gown. 

“Yes.” She sighed at the warmth of his hand.  
After he’d carefully untied the gown and even more carefully maneuvered her arms to rid her of the stiff, itchy garment, he scooted closer, tucking his knees behind hers and pressing his chest to her back. 

“Just sit still. Let me.” He said gently, laying a hand on her hip, when she tried to scoot back against him. She stilled and let him finish adjusting behind her until he was fitted comfortably behind her, one arm bent up above her head and the other laid gently over her waist, hugging her close. His palm against hers laying on the bed with their fingers laced together. He nuzzled his face into the back of her neck and kissed her softly. 

Elaina hummed contentedly, soaking in the warmth of him pressed shirtless behind her and his lips on her neck, with no other intent than comfort for the both of them. Suddenly she remembered she hadn’t been the only one at that warehouse. She tightened her fingers in Mycroft’s.

“What’s wrong?” Mycroft squeezed back and tightened his grip around her waist. 

“Sherlock...John...are they…?”

“They’re fine.” He ran his fingers along the top of her head. 

“Their gunmen weren’t as twitchy as the one on you was. They dropped their weapons as soon as we entered the warehouse. Than man on you though...” he sighed.

“Twitchy. I remember.”

“I-”

“Don’t, Mycroft. It’s not your fault. It’s fine.” She wished she could turn her head but settled for squeezing his hand again. “They’re ok though? Have they...been here?”

Mycroft shifted closer. “They stayed until we were told you were stable. Then Sherlock ran off to convince Detective Inspector Lestrade to let him “interrogate” the man who shot you.” The quotation marks could be heard in his tone. “John stayed until he was convinced your doctors were up to his standards and then I sent him off to keep an eye on Sherlock. But yes, they are fine. I will have someone inform them that you are awake. They’ll be relieved. Much as I am.” He sighed.

“That sounds exactly like what they’d both do.” She huffed a laugh then yawned, wincing at the movement in her neck. 

“You alright?” Mycroft lifted his head, looking her over. 

“Yeah. Just hurts a bit.” She settled back into him when he laid back down. “I’m glad you’re here.” She rubbed her hand along the arm he had over her waist. 

“I wouldn’t be anywhere else. You should sleep.” 

“Ok. You should too.”

“Hmm, yes, I will.” Mycroft hummed and kissed at the back of her neck, carefully hugging her close. “Elaina…?” He said, hesitantly.

“I…” He faltered, breathed deep and tried again. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Mycroft.” Elaina replied, no hesitation.  
He had to move slow so he didn’t hurt her but he leaned up and over her, catching her gaze before smiling and leaning down to kiss her gently. Just moving his lips over hers so she didn’t have to exert too much. He slowly moved back to his former position and pressed soft kisses to the back of her neck and once beneath her ear.

“When you’re healed…” Mycroft let his words trail off, knowing she’d catch his meaning.

“When I’m healed, yes.” Elaina laced their fingers together again and let him shift one of his legs between hers. 

“Sleep, my dear.” Mycroft pulled the blanket up, covering her shoulder and held her close, breathing her in as they both drifted off. Happy knowing she was alright and there was a future to look forward to.


End file.
